


Mercy in the Summer

by mazabm



Category: Greek and Roman Mythology, Hadestown - Mitchell
Genre: F/M, Gen, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-15
Updated: 2018-12-15
Packaged: 2019-09-18 10:54:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16993692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mazabm/pseuds/mazabm
Summary: Hades and Eurydice conversations after the curtain falls.“I want to be free Hades!” She says her voice shaking and loud in the barren room.“You are.”





	Mercy in the Summer

Working in Hadestown, each day life is the same. It all blends together, working for hours in the factories, laying down, closing her eyes, opening them and going back to work.  One day, she finally just lays down and doesn’t get up. She lays in her bed (a slab that pushes the line of uncomfortable and unbearable). She figures that this is really death coming for her, the true end of Eurydice.

 

“The foreman told me you didn’t show up today.  He seemed confused like he wasn’t even aware that was an option.”  She groans but refuses to open her eyes. It’s him. She wonders if he’s here to drag her to the assembly line, if he’s going to kill her himself. “You’re not done yet, get up.”

“Go fuck yourself.”  She says into her bed and he chuckles.

“Up, girl.” He tells her and she feels his hand on her arm and it’s the only warning she gets before she’s on the hard ground. She looks at the shiny black shoes, looks up sees his sharp eyes, no glasses, interesting.  “You’re not even broken.” And the way he says it like he’s surprised makes her angry.

“What are you doing here, Hades?” She asks, and her voice sounds so tired.

“Looking in on my songbird.” And she feels like she’s been shot when he says it and her glare is hot.

“Don’t call me that.” He looks down on her, seemingly unbothered.

“Why? Does it remind you of him?” And she can’t hold his gaze, not when he brings him up, Orpheus.

“Do I remind you of her?” She’s not sure why she says it and she can feel the displeasure that rolls off of him.

“Get up, Eurydice, you have work to do.” And maybe in another life, it might have been pity, this one is just indifferent and dangerous (she hasn’t been scared of him in a long time)

“I’m not going back to the factory.” Something like rebellion in her throat as she stands up.  “I’m done, Hades.” And he laughs, bitter and _mean_.

“Do you think you’re the first to say that? Do you think you’ll be the last??”  And he grabbing her shirt in a tight grip, forcing her to stand on her toes. “We made a deal, my dear little _songbird_.  And all your choices are gone since your little lover boy failed.” And he is taunting her, and she is angry (she hasn’t felt anything in a long time)

“You made me a promise, Hades.” That hungry Eurydice was killed when she came down here, the slim hope she had snuffed out in the assembly line. And he chuckles letting her go, she falls to her knees.

“I lied.”  He says simply.  He turns to leave.  “I’ll give you 15 minutes to get to the factory or I’ll have the dogs drag you there by your hair.”

“Hades,” She starts and he looks back at her (something like sadness in his eyes).

“We had a deal, Mrs. Eurydice, I’m holding you to it.” And is he a broken record? She reaches out.

“Then rework my contract! Let me make a deal for my myself! Help me as you promised, I’ll do anything.” And she is saying anything, saying anything to stay out of the factories, saying anything to keep the anger in her chest. “I’ll even be her.” And it said in a whisper and he freezes in the doorway.

“You can’t be her, no one can.” And his voice sounds empty. “15 minutes, Eurydice.”

“I want to be free Hades!” She says her voice shaking and loud in the barren room.

“You are.”  He tells her and the taunting voices of the Fates ring in her head and by the time she thinks of responding he’s gone.

 

There are no dogs, no one drags her to the factory and she walks around Hadestown, her hands in her pocket. The heat is stifling, she keeps her head down as people walk back and forth from work on the wall, the factory, and the mines. No one stops her, no one speaks to her. She’s just one face in the crowd.

She passed the empty warehouse where the Lady Persephone would have her bar, wistfully thinking about the taste of sunlight.  She just keeps wandering passing empty buildings, and empty souls.

She trips over a crack in the ground and on bended knee, she finds it, there is a small trail of grass, she follows it, to find flowers are growing on the iron gate that separates it from the rest of the Underground.  It’s a garden! And she feels like crying (she has not shed tears in years). Entering it feels like she moving across scared land. There is a small tree in the middle, holding red fruit and she moves towards it almost magnetically.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”  Hades stands off by himself and even with his glasses on she can feel herself being watched. “You’re not in the factory.” He notes.

“You didn’t call the dogs on me.”  She tells him and he inclines his head, and she can see his eyes, she feels like she’s being evaluated.

“I lied.” He motions her towards him with his hand and she moves away from the tree.  “On our wedding night,” He starts and she is struck by how ancient he is, and how sad he is.  “Persephone ate six seeds before she got too distracted and then she dropped it, wasting it.” He seems almost like he’s yearning to be back then, she knows the look on his face, recognizes it in the mirror when she thinks of Orpheus.   “That was back before the factory before we had much, and I remember being angry seeing the wasted fruit and she laughed at me.” And she understands, can remember watching Orpheus sing to the heavens instead of collecting firewood, can remember her pleading with him to be more careful with the fruit she had (it was supposed to be for the darkest days, it never lasted).

“I miss her.”

“I miss him.” She admits.

They look at each other before Hades looks away.

“How long till she comes back?” She asks.

“Two months, six days.”  He says and she sighs biting her lips.  Hades looks at her, appraising her. “I can’t let you go back up.” She doesn’t ask for his reasoning, she knows he is a king, and every move he makes alters the very reality she sits in.  There wasn’t even hope in her heart for that she realizes. She’s just so tired. She reminds herself of his words to her a long time ago. “I shouldn’t even be entertaining this.” He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a paper.  “I’m a busy man.” He says and she remembers meeting him in the forest so long ago. “But I need an assistant.” She can feel her eyes widen, he can’t honestly be.

“No factory, no wall, no mine?” He nods solemnly. “Why?” And he turns away from her and she’s worried that by asking him she’s ruined it, he’ll call it off.

“I’ve thought of you since your boy left.  There is something different about you.”

“No there isn’t.”  She says, Hades lured everyone here the same way, it hasn’t changed, she won’t be played twice.

“You remind me of,” She’s ready for him to say Persephone, ready for him to compare her to Spring herself but he pauses. “You remind me of me.” And her eyes find his when he looks at her.  “And you’re not broken, you should be, so I’ll get some use out of you, yet.”

“I’ll have to look at my contract.”  She says quietly. He offers his arm to hers.

“I would expect nothing less.”  She laces her arm in his and together they leave the garden.

Maybe the myths were wrong, maybe Hades is more merciful in the summer.

 

“Hades, Why is it so hot down here!” Hades looks at Eurydice, an amused look in his eyes.

“The Missus is back.”  He says to Eurydice like he’s sharing a secret.

“Hades!” Persephone stalks in, she still is dressed for the summers, flowers seem to burst off her brown skin, she is so beautiful.  A light where Hades is darkness. And the goddess stops seeing Eurydice. “This is new.” And Hades is moving to his wife before she can move, and Eurydice wants to look away, as he whispers to Persephone.

“The songbird, Orpheus’s girl, your assistant?” And hearing every title she’s ever had come out the Goddess’s mouth makes Eurydice want to curl in herself but they’re both watching her with old eyes so she stands straighter and nods to the lady.  “He’s not working you too hard, is he?” And her voice sounds almost sweet but she remembers, the biting bitterness, the anger, the true lady of the Underground.

“No, ma’am.”  She says inclining her head, refusing (terrified) to move. Hades is different without Persephone (harder, more nostalgic) now that she’s here, Eurydice doesn’t know what to expect.

“I'm glad you’re here, songbird. I have something for you from up top.  And the gentle red bloom that she presses into the girl’s hand brings immediate tears into Eurydice's eyes. “He hasn’t given up.”  The Goddess whispers into her ear. “I’m glad you haven't either.” She laughs loudly, spinning to grab Hades’s arm. “Come, husband, back to work, little songbird.” She sings, Hades flashes her a quick questioning look before he is pulled with Persephone and the door shuts quietly behind them. She breathes out.

 

Her office is dark. She is working on massive amounts of paperwork that Hades put in front of her before leaving her alone, she is sure that was hours ago(time passes so strangely here).  She hasn't seen the light in days, she only knows she's eaten because Persephone had made her take a plate.

”You'll need your strength.” the Queen had whispered.  She had smiled and patted Eurydice's cheek. She knows that the gods found her and Orpheus cute (not worth their time but cute)

She's surprised when the door opens.

“Sir,”. She starts, she’s not done with her work, she needs more time.  If she is not profitable, he will throw her to the mines, he has little patience for error.

“Eurydice,”. Her heart shatters and repairs itself.  If he's here that means,

“Orpheus,”

**Author's Note:**

> I am going to wrte a revoloution story where the people of Hadestown take Hades's head but this came first.  
> Orpheus was very loud with his orignal plan, everyone in hadestown knew, Eurydice flies under the rader and thats why these conversations happen.
> 
> Anyway, I left it open ended up I imagine that Hades is grooming Eurydice to take his spot after the eventual revolution "there is a crack in the wall."


End file.
